News and Articles

Wednesday. 14 December 2016

New European Platform Smart Networks for Energy Transition R&I kicks off six Working Groups

A call for Working Groups experts is about to be launched over the next month

The new European Technology and Innovation Platform Smart Networks for Energy Transition (ETIP SNET) just launched its activities this week and will be seeking experts from mid December 2016 until mid January 2017 to take an active part in its six Working Groups. The Working Groups (WGs) will address matters such as: the reliability and efficiency of the smart grid system, storage and interface to other energy networks, flexibility of generation, digitalisation of the energy system and exploitation of research results.

ETIPs have been created in the framework of the EU’s new Integrated Roadmap of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (the SET Plan) – Europe’s energy RD&I master plan. ” ETIP SNET is to guide research, development and innovation to support Europe’s energy transition with innovation for the transmission and distribution systems. These systems form the technical and market platforms where clean electricity generation, empowered customers, storage technologies, smarter grids and interfaces to gas, heat and transport networks make the energy transition happen in secure and affordable ways.

In its 4th Governing Board meeting on 9 December, the ETIP SNET designated the chairs and co-chairs of 5 working groups. A call for voluntary expert candidates to become members of the working groups will be launched in the coming days. The Governing Board and the working groups unite many different stakeholders and companies, e.g. system operators, electricity market participants, renewable and thermal generators, IT and telecom companies, manufacturers, gas, heat and electric vehicle associations, member states, academia and research institutes, and the European Commission.The call for voluntary experts representing these actors is opened on the ETIP SNET website.

The launched WGs will help to develop the ETIP SNET vision by providing guidance on research, development and innovation activities in order to facilitate Europe’s energy transition. The ETIP SNET is opened to all key stakeholders that wish to be involved in this process. The experts from the WGs will contribute towards the following goals:

• Fostering cooperation in the definition of technological priorities in the European electricity sector, aligned with the Energy Union, with the development of a specific Roadmap

• Promoting the use of an increasing share of variable renewable electricity by 2030 by integrating innovative solutions within a stable and secure energy system

• Harnessing the analysis of European research, demonstration and innovation projects , including the projects from the countries associated, with the Horizon2020 Programme

WG5: Innovation implementation in the business environment
Chair: Emmanouil Kakaras, MHPSE on behalf of EPPSA and EASE (Equipment suppliers, Storage and Sector Interface)
Co-chairs: Venizelos Efthymiou, University of Cyprus, representing EURELECTRIC (DSOs, Research and Academia) and Pepyn Fluks, Alliander (DSOs)

In addition, a 6th working group gathering representatives from national stakeholders is being created. Its main aim is to foster knowledge sharing on Member States’ activities in smart networks and to better streamline the European and national funding efforts in the area of smart grids, storage and integrated energy systems.

The working group chairs will participate in the ETIP SNET’s executive committee which is led by Konstantin Staschus representing ENTSO-E (TSOs) as ETIP Chair, Nikos Hatziargyriou representing EDSO for Smart Grids (DSOs) and Thierry Le Boucher representing EASE (storage) as ETIP Vice-Chairs.

Over 100 experts are expected to participate in the Working Groups, which will meet periodically to discuss and propose measures to achieve the above mentioned objectives.